


Just You and Me (and Eternity)

by AwesomeMango7



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Almost 18, Angst, Danny Curses, Danny is 17, Danny is Depressed, Drinking, Gen, Lonely Vlad, One-Shot, Open Ending, Pre-Friendship, Sadness, Vlad is not so much of a Fruit Loop anymore, Vlad is slightly helicopter-y again, cursing, the beginning of a friendship, underaged drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:07:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25226542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwesomeMango7/pseuds/AwesomeMango7
Summary: Danny show up drunk at Vlad’s place with an important question about their existence.
Relationships: Badger Cereal - Relationship, Danny Fenton & Vlad Masters
Comments: 9
Kudos: 223





	Just You and Me (and Eternity)

**Author's Note:**

> There’s some heavy angst in this, so be warned. This is my second fic in this fandom, so I hope I did the character's justice! Danny's kind of in a foul mood though. And Vlad's gone a little soft with time.

Danny was sufficiently drunk. So drunk, he might add, that if he tried to fly he was absolutely certain he’d run right into a lamppost. Or just crash straight into the ground like an idiot. That of which, he’d already done. And not because he’d been flying, but simply just because he’d been walking. Or, more accurately, _stumbling_. So flying was definitely out of the question, unless he wanted to break his neck. 

He’d gone to a party without telling Sam and Tuck. It was another one of Dash’s parties, and somehow, the three of them had been invited. They collectively agreed not to go, especially since they knew it would only lead to trouble. Nobody actually wanted them there, and probably only invited them to prank them. But Danny went anyway. He felt a little bad for lying to his two best friends, but he’d had a reason for going.

He wasn’t trying to fit in with the cool kids, he wasn’t trying to get laid, and he wasn’t trying to have fun. He’d gone for one purpose and one purpose alone: _Alcohol_.

And when he got there, he asked Dash were the spiked drinks were, and promptly drank as much of the stuff as he could get his hands on. He _did_ get pranked at some point in the night. Dash and a few others had dumped a bucket of cold water over his head and pied him in the face, but he didn’t care because not only was easily fixable, but it had been expected. He simply went to the bathroom and phased the water and pie off of his body. He left the mess on the floor for Dash to clean up later, so in the end, the joke was on him. 

Maybe being half-ghost had its advantages sometimes, but was it really, truly worth it? He didn’t know the answer after he made one particular discovery about himself. 

Right now, he wanted to be wasted. He wanted to feel something different from how he’d been feeling recently. He’d become depressed, and the feeling had stuck for the past month. And he didn’t want to talk to anyone about it because they’d never understand.

There was something _wrong_ with him. Something about being a half-ghost that messed with everything— messed with his entire existence in a way he never would’ve asked for or wanted.

And it hurt. 

If he said anything, his friends would _tell_ him that they’d always be there for him, but that was impossible. It was literally a promise that they could not keep, no matter how hard they tried. So their assurances would mean nothing. And Danny couldn’t bear the thought of telling them. It would break them. It had already broken him. 

He was alone. Isolated from the people around him, pushed to a different form of existence even though they were _right_ _there_. And the worst part was that they wouldn’t be there forever. One day, he’d really, truly be alone. Everyone he loved would be gone, and he’d never see them again. 

So, that’s why he found himself here now. Alone, stumbling down the street about an hour’s walk from Dash’s place, drunker than he had ever been before. Drunker than when he, Sam, and Tucker had snuck some fancy wine from Mr. Manson’s stash. And he wasn’t going home. Maybe it was because he was drunk, but... there really only was one person who could understand. The only other person who’d always be there, even if Danny hated him. He’d always be here, like a cold reminder of his cursed existence.

And he was the only one who could confirm his fears, too. He’d been too afraid to confront him about it before, but now that he was drunk, he felt like maybe he could handle it if he was absolutely certain about his predicament. 

Soon, he found himself tripping up the steps of Vlad Master’s front porch. The house stood tall and grand before him, and Danny wished he’d had more alcohol on him so he could throw it at the wall and ruin it a little. But he knew Vlad would get pissed at him if he did, and Danny was in no condition to fight off the man’s temper tantrums. 

Danny contemplated just phasing through the front door and cornering Vlad, wherever he was in the house. But he only ever did that when he was looking for a fight. So maybe he’d go the traditional route and ring the doorbell like a normal person. Besides, his powers were a little hard to use when he could barely concentrate. The alcohol made it hard for him to think.

The teen sighed and pressed one uncoordinated finger into the doorbell button, and pressed it two more times for good measure. Maybe it would irritate Vlad a little, which was just great in Danny’s opinion. He always loved to annoy the hell outta the Fruit Loop. And apparently he loved it even more when he was drunk, because just the thought of Vlad’s annoyed expression forced small giggles out of Danny’s mouth, and the man hadn’t even opened the door yet. 

He waited for about a minute before the door actually did open, light pouring out onto the patio. Vlad stood in the doorway, a confused look on his face. He was still dressed in his day clothes despite it being so late into the night, so at least he hadn’t been asleep yet. Maybe that’d make Vlad more willing to answer his questions. Despite the fact that he was in the mood to mess with Vlad, he didn’t want to annoy him to the point that he’d actually turn him away. 

“Daniel?” Vlad said, somehow looking disinterested and interested at the same time. “What in Ancient’s name are you doing here at this hour? Don’t you have a curfew, _child?"_

Danny scowled up at the man, immediately feeling offended. Vlad had no right to speak to him that way after everything he’d done to him. “You’re always suck— such an asshole, you— _hic_ —you know that, Vlad?” He slurred before he pushed the man aside and stepped further into his house, not caring that he hadn’t been invited to enter. It’s not like the man ever cared if he was invited to Danny’s own home, anyway. There had been a lot of illegal break-ins that the teen distinctly remembered pissed him off beyond belief. 

“Are you—“ Vlad paused, his eyes going a little wide as the door was left wide open and forgotten behind him. He was looking at Danny in shock. “Daniel, are you _drunk?”_

“What’s it to you?” Danny muttered, pressing a finger into Vlad’s chest. “You’re not my _dad."_

“And you are a _minor!”_ Vlad scolded, smacking Danny’s hand away. 

Danny stared at his hand for a moment, his brain slow to catch up with everything. He turned back to Vlad and narrowed his eyes. _“So?"_

“‘So?’” Vlad repeated, looking very unamused with Danny’s attitude. Even more so than usual. “Daniel, what has gotten into you?! You should be glad I’m not calling your parents right now and informing them of this complete disregard of the law—“

“Like—like _‘ur_ one to talk, _Plasmius."_ Danny cut him off, using a great amount of focus to conjure an ectoblast in his hand. Vlad’s hypocrisy was starting to piss him off, and Danny was in a _dangerous_ mood. 

“Daniel, stop this nonsense.” Vlad grabbed his wrist and forced it down, causing Danny to lose his concentration. The energy in his palm quickly faded. “If you’re here for a fight, then take your leave. I’m not in the mood to fight a _drunk teenager."_

Danny yanked his hand away from Vlad, eyes flashing acidic green for a moment in his anger. “Fuck you, Vlad.”

“Watch your mouth, _boy_. You came to _my_ house, completely uninvited. I will not tolerate your attitude, even if you are inebriated.” Vlad growled out, his eyes flaring red for a moment in response. He turned, eyeing the open door before closing it. They shouldn’t be using their powers while anyone could just look inside and see it.

Danny huffed and stumbled further into Vlad’s stupid, grand house. The man quickly followed behind him, watching his every move with narrowed, suspicious eyes. It had been a long time since Vlad had come up with any evil schemes that involved his parents or taking over the world. It had probably been a year since the last one if Danny really thought about it. 

But that didn’t mean they didn’t fight anymore. Whenever they crossed paths in their ghost forms, they still duked it out. There wasn’t usually any reason to it, other than some unspoken and pointless obligation, but the aggression was still there just like it had been since the beginning. It was weird, Danny thought, that Vlad hadn’t tried to do anything horrible in a while. And he was caught between hoping that Vlad had changed for the better, and dreading the fact that the man might be planning something big.

They still fought, so they were still enemies. Even though Vlad didn’t do anything to hurt him unless they just happened to run into each other over ghost-related matters. But even if he wasn’t scheming, he also hadn’t reached out to say that he’d changed. And he hadn’t asked Danny to be in a truce. So Danny really didn’t know what the hell was going on with the man. 

It was weird. The whole past year had been weird. And they didn’t talk about how Vlad was different, they just fought like they always had. Maybe this was a good time to talk about that, too. He was already here, and Vlad said he wasn’t gonna fight him while he was drunk, so what better time than tonight?

Danny found himself in a room that was definitely a living room. He swayed on his way to one of the armchairs, stumbling into one of the side tables in the process. He’d almost fallen over, but Vlad caught his arm and helped him regain balance. He mumbled a half-assed ‘thanks’ as he fell back into a plush red chair.

Vlad eyed him for a moment before he made his way to the fireplace. He threw in a couple of logs of wood and set it on fire using his powers. The fire had a distinct pink tint to it as it spread, and Danny’s eyes sparkled slightly in awe. He’d had no idea Vlad’s core fire powers could work like that. He supposed it made sense, though, because his own ice had always had a darker, blue tint to it that normal ice just didn’t have. 

Vlad turned to him, looking annoyed. He sat down in the chair across from him, resting his chin in his hand as he glared at the younger halfa. “How did you get drunk?” He asked, probably just to start some kind of conversation. 

“With alcohol.” Danny snorted, smiling because he knew he was being a little shit. Apparently he was no less sarcastic when he was drunk. 

Vlad scowled at him. _“Where_ did you get drunk, Daniel?” His voice sounded mildly exasperated. 

Danny sunk down into the chair, waiting for the room to stop spinning for a moment before he answered. Maybe he shouldn’t sass Vlad too much tonight, considering the serious matter he needed to discuss with the man. “Party.”

“And where are your friends?” Vlad asked.

“Not here.” Danny shrugged. “They didn’t— they weren’t at the party if that’s what ‘ur askin’.”

Vlad made a sound of acknowledgment. “And why, pray tell, are you here? What made you think it was a great idea to visit _me_ in the middle of the night? While you’re drunk and vulnerable?”

Danny looked at the fireplace. The flames were still pink, reminding him of their shared existence. Half-ghost and half-human. He sighed heavily, deflating on the inside. The alcohol was starting to make him feel even more unpleasant than he had been before. 

“Why ‘aven’t you try to hurt my parents or take over the world in such a _looong_ time?” Danny slurred, still not looking at the man. His head was spinning slightly as he stared at the fire. It was starting to hurt his eyes. 

Vlad was silent for a very long moment. So long that Danny eventually turned to him expectantly, waiting for the answer.

“I suppose it’s because I’ve given up on those dreams,” Vlad said, his expression blank. “I grew tired of it.”

“What do you do now, then?” Danny asked suspiciously, sinking further into his seat. 

“I collect ghostly artifacts in the Ghost Zone,” Vlad told him, looking bored. “Some I keep, and some I study before returning.”

_“Why?”_ Danny asked, sounding every bit as childish as he felt in this moment. It was weird that Vlad wasn’t scheming anymore, and he didn’t know if he could trust him, but if he was serious, maybe this change could be good. Maybe, one day, they could be friends. And then Danny wouldn’t have to be alone forever. 

“Because I value knowledge.” Vlad glared at him. “I do it for the same reason that people collect ancient tombs from Egypt and set it up in a museum.”

Danny glared at him for a moment longer before settling, accepting Vlad’s apparent hobby. At least he wasn’t planning on stealing his mom anymore. He hoped. 

“Okay.” The teen said. He could accept that, for now. Until Vlad proved otherwise, he wouldn’t question it. 

Vlad rose a brow, seemingly skeptical of Danny’s acceptance. “Is that all?” 

“No.” Danny sighed. 

“Then what else did you come here to ask me?” Vlad said, sounding more and more fed up with this conversation by the minute. “Surely you didn’t just come here to pester me, did you?”

“I _didn’t!"_ Danny snapped. “I just— I came here to ask you something _serious,_ okay? Why are you always such a Fruit Loop...” 

Vlad’s expression softened slightly. “What is it, Daniel?” 

“Vlad, are we...” Danny’s face fell slightly, and he felt his heart and core both pang sadly as he thought about it. His next words came out hushed like he was afraid to even say it. “Are we... _immortal?”_

Danny had been a half-ghost for nearly four years. He’d been fourteen at the time that he activated his parents' ghost portal while he was still inside. Nowadays, he was seventeen— and in a month, he’d be _eighteen_. He’d finally be an _adult_.

And for a long time, he hadn’t noticed. But in more recent months he realized that... he hadn’t _aged_. Or at least, it didn’t look like he had. Sam was starting to become taller than him now. All those ‘growth spurts’ people talked about in high school never happened to him. Four years of being a half-ghost, and he still wore the same jeans that he’d worn in his freshman year of high school. He should’ve grown out of them by now, but he hadn’t.

He hadn’t really noticed until a month ago when he’d looked at a picture he and Tucker had taken four years ago, about a week after the accident. And he looked exactly the same. He still looked like he was _fourteen_. And then he started to notice how his parents were starting to get grey strands in their hair. How they were starting to form wrinkles around their eyes. And Vlad wasn’t. 

If it weren’t for the silver color of his hair, and the professional aura that his clothes and posture gave off, he realized that Vlad looked... young. Way younger than his parents did, despite the fact that he was the same age as them. And that’s when he’d realized that something was terribly wrong. But he still had to ask. 

Vlad’s eyes widened at Danny’s question. He stared at him silently, the only sound between them being the crackling of the fire. 

“Well, _are we?"_ Danny grumbled, hoping to prompt Vlad into responding.

Vlad’s expression crumbled. “Daniel...”

“I want to know, Vlad. I _deserve_ to know!” Danny said, crossing his arms over his chest as frustrated tears formed in his eyes. “I’m about to be eighteen, you know... I’m about to be an _adult,_ and I still... I still look like I’m _fourteen_. All of my friends, all of my classmates look _older_. And I _don’t."_

“Daniel...” Vlad said again, more softly this time. He looked away, a sad look crossing over his face. “I... I’m not sure if we’re immortal. But... but I haven’t aged much, either. My appearance has changed... my hair is white, and I’ve grown a beard that gives me an older appearance. But... nothing else about my appearance has really changed since the accident. As you look fourteen, I still feel as if I look twenty-five when I look in the mirror...”

“You don’t look like my parents...” Danny grumbled. 

Vlad looked back at him. “I know...”

“So that’s just it, then?” Danny said, the tears building more. “We’re just stuck like this? I’ll look like a _child_ forever? How am I supposed to explain that?”

“I don’t know...” Vlad said solemnly. It wasn’t often that he admitted to not knowing something. He had always been a know-it-all, but this situation seemed different.

“So everyone we know will grow old and die, and we’ll just stay the same forever?” Danny felt a tear slip down his cheek.

Vlad stood from his chair, looking determined for a moment. “I need a drink if we’re going to be having this conversation.” He briefly left the room and returned but a moment later with a bottle of scotch and a glass for himself. Danny frowned when he realized Vlad hadn’t brought an extra glass for him.

“You’re not gonna share?” Danny asked.

“I think you’ve had enough.” Vlad said as he poured a good amount into the glass and set the bottle on the side table between them. 

Danny rolled his eyes.

Vlad swirled the glass around for a moment, watching the auburn liquid with unfocused eyes before he finally took a sip. With the glass still in hand, he stood before the fireplace, one hand behind his back as he stared into the fuchsia-colored flames. He looked more contemplative and distressed than Danny had ever seen him. 

“You and I are all we’ve got, Little Badger.” The older half-ghost said, voice hollowed. And it was strange to hear him so broken when he said something like that. In any other situation, the man would’ve been ecstatic to claim that Danny was the only one he could turn to. But this was drastically different. 

They would outlive everyone they knew, until it was just them. Always, just them. 

Danny stared down at his lap as a few silent tears slipped down his face, the reality finally settling in. Mom and dad... Jazz, Sam, and Tucker... he’d have to watch all of them die. He’d have to watch Valerie die. 

Vlad would one day be all that he had left. And the thought _terrified_ him. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed! :3


End file.
